Business Quote by Charles Caleb Colton
“The cynic who twitted Aristippus by observing that the philosopher who could dine on herbs might despise the company of a king, was well replied to by Aristippus, when he remarked that the philosopher who could enjoy the company or a king might also despise a dinner of herbs.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Miscellanies, 1820
A philosopher who despises simple food may enjoy royal company, yet the same philosopher might reject a king’s company for its simplicity.
In simple terms: Philosophers can love luxury but hate simplicity, and vice versa.
Key Takeaway
Avoid hypocrisy in preferences.
Themes
philosophy
contradiction
values
social class
Mood
wry
thought‑provoking
Type
literary
aphoristic
When to use this quote
- dinner parties
- royal courts
- simple meals
- social gatherings
Key Concepts
ethics
personal taste
Questions to Reflect On
- Can one truly separate taste from status?
- Do we judge people by their choices?
A Different Perspective
Oversimplifies complex motives.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)